Taipei National Palace Museum

The incomparable collection of Chinese art in Taipei's National Palace Museum makes it the city's number one tourist attraction. Many of the exhibits were once displayed in Beijing’s Forbidden City, and were moved to Taiwan in 1933, during the Chinese Civil War. Their new home is modern echo of that complex, sitting in lush gardens at the base of a dramatic hillside.

Items on display represent millennia of Chinese artistry and ingenuity, with highlights including an important calligraphy collection, landscape paintings and a huge range of jade, bronze and ceramic artifacts.

Practical Info

The National Palace Museum is located in the northern Shilin district of Taipei; take bus R30 from Shilin MRT station. Allow plenty of time to look around, or consider a second visit to take in the vast range of exhibits, and do take advantage of the free guided tours in English.